The parent of an 18-year-old student who shot several people at Timberview High School in Arlington, TX said her son was bullied, which is why he brought a gun to school to protect himself.
Just after 9:00am on Wednesday, a fight broke out in a classroom. 18-year-old Timothy Simpkins pulled out a .45 caliber handgun during the fight and opened fire. Does being bullied justify his actions?
Bullying is a problem, but bringing a handgun into a classroom is not an acceptable solution. A fight is breaking out in a classroom is a symptom of a bigger problem. There was a time when that would have been unheard of. Obviously, there are major issues at Timberview High School that need to be addressed.
A family friend of Timothy Simpkins said it was “not right” for him to bring a gun to school “but he was trying to protect himself.”
Settling arguments with guns has become an instinct for some, and excuses are made that prevent the problem from being honestly addressed. No student should ever feel like their best option is to bring a gun to school for protection. The school may be at fault for allowing bullying to reach the point where a student felt that he needed a gun for protection, but the 18-year-old student is old enough to be expected to know that bringing a gun and using it to shoot people during a fight is totally unacceptable.
And where did the student get the gun? Did his family know he had a gun or access to a gun in the household?
Accepting the excuse that the student felt he needed a gun for protection only contributes to a prevailing attitude in America that guns are the answer and that shooting people is an acceptable way to settle dispute.
This 18-year-old student felt justified in bringing a handgun to school to use in the event he was bullied. Fortunately, no one was killed, but surely this shooting incident will forever affect the lives of the student and those who were shot. Those who bullied the student should also be held accountable.
The harsh truth is that many young people in America instinctively carry guns to school, to parties, and to public places. The idea that has become an instinct is the symptom of a much bigger problem that is not being addressed.
